Kiss and Tell
by pamz
Summary: AU Pre-Season 4 Finale. What if Walter did a little bit more than just take Florence to the lecture? And how will Paige react when she finds out?


**Author's note:** Another story to toss onto the pre-finale angst bonfire. I hadn't planned on writing one, but this popped into my head this afternoon and wouldn't leave me alone. It's probably lame and I have no idea if this would ever happen or not (I've been avoiding learning too much about what the finale contains, although I have watched the sneak peeks and I reference some dialogue from one of them in this fic). And I've left out all the other stuff dealing with the rest of the team because, well, they're not Waige. Read and hopefully enjoy and reviews are greatly appreciated.

 **Disclaimer:** This story is an amateur, not-for-profit publication produced solely for the enjoyment of other Scorpion fans and is not intended to infringe upon any rights of K/O Paper Products, Blackjack Productions, Perfect Storm Entertainment, SB Films, CBS Television Studios, or anyone else.

 **KISS AND TELL**

"You did WHAT?"

Walter could tell Paige was upset with him, and he had to concede (up to a point) she had a valid reason to be. If she would just let him explain, she would see she was getting all worked up over nothing.

"I kissed Florence," he said.

"You kissed. . ." She shook her head as she sat at her desk. "In your dream, hallucination, whatever the hell it was. . . Right?"

"No. I kissed her the night we attended the DNA lecture together," he announced as he stood in front of her, feeling as if he were a naughty school boy being reprimanded by a nun. An occasion he was all too familiar with. "I was testing a hypothesis and. . ."

"Testing a hypothesis?" Walter sighed. If she was just going to parrot his words back to him, this senseless argument would go nowhere fast.

"Yes, an experiment similar to the one you and I conducted three years ago to gauge our attraction to each other."

"Oh, God."

When she didn't continue, he went on, "I had to make sure. . ."

"Make sure of what?" He rolled his eyes as she echoed him again.

"To make sure the kiss in my. . .my dream, hallucination, whatever. . .wasn't my subconscious telling me I was more compatible with Florence. It was an experiment which benefited not only me, but all three of us."

"How in the hell does you kissing another woman benefit me in any way?" she shouted. "At least when Drew cheated on me, he didn't try to excuse it by wrapping it up in a steaming pile of scientific bull poop. Because that, mister, is exactly what this is."

"No." Dammit, she was growing more unreasonable by the second if she was comparing him to her asshole of an ex. "By kissing Florence, it proved I had no feelings for her beyond friendship. It was like kissing Happy."

He was glad looks didn't actually kill because the one Paige tossed in his direction. . . By all rights, he should have been bleeding out on the floor.

"It proved you're the only woman who can. . .can. . ." He racked his brain for the proper wording. "Stimulate my desire. M-My love. Only you."

She stared at him for an uncomfortable amount of time. "You. . .You son of a bitch," she finally whispered.

"If it helps, I am sorry," he pleaded. "I should have told you about taking her to the lecture from the start. But I was trying to spare your feelings. Like you were trying to spare mine by not telling me you'd rather spend more time in the swamp with the alligators than go to the lecture with me."

"That's not. . ." she sputtered.

"I overheard you talking to Ralph after we got back from Louisiana," he cut in. "You were right. My feelings were hurt when I found out the truth. That's why I decided to put your white lie concept into practice, telling you the lecture was canceled and letting you off the hook."

"Oh, God." She dropped her head into her hands for a moment, then glanced back up at him. "You weren't suppose. . ."

"Hear that? I know. But I did." He took a deep breath. "I did attempt to ask everyone else before I asked Florence," he stated. "She expressed interest in it and I knew she would enjoy it much more than you would have." Swallowing nervously, he added, "And it scared me."

"Scared you? Why?" Paige scrunched up her face in confusion.

"She and I are so alike and you and I. . .aren't. It scared me that Collins could be right. That we're too different. It scared me I enjoyed being with someone who cared about what I care about and. . ."

"Wait, are you saying I don't care about you?" Paige got to her feet.

"No, that's not what I. . ."

"Because I do," she interrupted. "Care about you. Care about what interests you. Because it's all a part of who you are. And. . . And even if it doesn't always seem like I do, I love who you are." She placed her hands on her hips. "It's you who doesn't care about my interests."

He opened his mouth to protest but she kept speaking. "I know they seem shallow and silly to you, but not everyone has an IQ of 197. Some of us like our non-nerdy pursuits."

"I didn't. . . I've never meant to make you feel stupid," he said. "And I've discovered some of your interests have valid applications regarding problem solving and. . ."

Paige rolled her eyes. "Nice save," she said. "But we're getting off track. This is about you enjoying spending time with another woman. This is about you kissing that other woman then lying to me about it."

"I never lied to you about it. . ."

"Lying by omission is still lying." She sighed wearily. "I should have never told you it was okay to tell white lies. I have to accept some of the blame for this. But. . . Dammit, Walter. . . Not telling me hurts a lot more than coming clean a long time would have."

There were tears gathering in her eyes, his own were growing moist. "I know that now. I am sorry." He stuck his hands in his pockets. "I shouldn't have kissed Florence, experiment or no." He stepped toward her. "You _are_ the love of my life. And that is not a lie."

"I know," she replied as she skirted around the edge of her desk. "I wasn't lying either when I said you were mine." Stopping about a foot away from where he stood, she continued, "I meant every word I said to you when you were trapped. That I loved you and I didn't care whatever it was you were hiding from me. I just wasn't. . .wasn't expecting something like this."

Walter watched as she bit her lip, her tears flowing unabated down her face. "I heard every word. You said whatever it was, we would be okay." He gazed down at his feet, unable to bear to look at the misery he'd caused her. "I. . . If you've changed your mind. . . I, uh. . .I understand."

"Oh, God, Walter." She surprised him by closing the gap between them and throwing her arms around his neck, burying her face into his shoulder. Dampness stung his cheeks as he clung to her trembling body, hoping against hope it wasn't for the last time.

It would serve him right though. He was a complete moron when it came to relationships, and not just romantic ones. Every relationship he'd ever been in had been contentious. His parents, his classmates, his teachers, his co-workers, his friends. . . He'd even managed to screw up with Megan, the one constant in his life. He'd been so obsessed with his futile attempt to save her, he'd almost allowed what little time they had together to slip through his fingers.

"I'm so sorry," he murmured over and over, kissing her hair as he awkwardly tried to soothe her. He didn't know what would happen if he ever lost Paige. All he knew was he didn't want to ever find out.

She relaxed in his arms, lifting her red-rimmed eyes to gaze into his. "I am, too, Walter. I'm sorry too."

"So where do we go from here?" he asked, half dreading the answer.

"Where do you want us to go?" she countered, clearly dumping the decision into his lap.

"I love you," he replied. "And no matter how different we are, I always will."

"Good answer." She flashed him a watery smile.

"I am a genius." He grinned back.

"I love you too." Reaching up, she kissed him gently on the mouth. "But we really need to work on our open and honest communication," she said. "No more lying."

He nodded. "No more dragging you to boring science events."

"They're not all boring," she said, then laughed. "Okay, most of them are. No more attempts at 'healthy eating'."

"It wasn't all bad. I've grown to like yogurt." He pressed his lips together. "No more listening to other people's advice," he said, thinking of all the bad guidance he'd received over the past few years from people who thought they had his best interests at heart. "Not unless we ask for it."

"Deal." She moved out of his embrace. "So there's honestly nothing but friendship between you and Florence."

"Honestly. I knew it from the moment my lips touched hers. It was like kissing my hand." He glanced at her. "I just have to look at you and. . .and any number of, uh, inappropriate thoughts fill my head."

"Inappropriate, huh?" She was staring at him with a light in her eyes he didn't understand.

"For the workplace, yes."

"What about away from the workplace?"

"Uh, I guess they would be less inappropriate. . ." _Oh._

She reached out and took his hand. "Maybe we should find out. If they're inappropriate or not."

"Okay."

"So how often do you make out with your hand?" she teased as he let her lead him up to his loft. Where he learned most of his thoughts were indeed quite inappropriate for the workplace. And where he kissed far more than just his hand.

ooooo

 **FIN**


End file.
